Multicolor designer



7 Nov. 10, 1931.

F. v F. CONWILL MULTICOLOR" fissmnmn Filed Oct. 11, 1929 INVENTOR. f'keo f." COIVW/LL )a? ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov, 10, 1931 FRED I. CQNWILL, F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA MULTICOLOR DESIGNER Application filed October 11, 1929. Serial No. 398,993.

This invention relates to new and useful methods of manufacturing and applying designing material. Its objects are accomphshed in the following manner and through the use of the following instrumentalities.

Heretofore it has been diflicult to produce uniform designs in several pure colors on a large surface, such as a wall surface, except at a prohibitive cost. Stenciling has been most. generally employed. Modeling and stippling in indefinite patterns with rags, paper, sponges and the like are in common use.

In stippling with these materials, the decorator first places the color on the surfaces and then presses or rolls rags or paper over the color; or else he di s the rags or sponge directly into the liquid coloring material and then presses it to the wall. All of these methods require a separate operation in the appllo cation of each color. In these methods the ordinary painter does not understand color harmony effects well enough to produce them. 'Then, too, considerable skill is required to produce uniform effects.

The principal object of this invention 1s to provide a multi-color decorating medium which will apply a number of colors at once in a definite color harmony relation and in a definite design and at the same time reduce I the cost of decorating to a minimum.

Other objects and advantages w1ll appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 5 My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section and showing a treated string,

, Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of a holder.

for out strings,

Figure 3 is a section along the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a view partly in section of a treated strip of fabric,

Figure 5 is a section along the line 55 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a bottom plan of another holder, Figure 7 is a section along the line 77 0 .5 Figure 6,

gigure 8 is a side view of another holder, an

Figure 9 is a section through Figure 8.

v In carrying out my invention, I take a piece or absorbent material such as cotton string 1 or felt 2 and saturate it with an intense pig.- mented coloring material, preferably nitrocellulose lacquer "piglnents. In Figure 1 I show the lacquer as building up a layer of lacquer 3 around the string 1. After these pigments have dried, I apply a sealer such asglue or gelatin which is insoluble'in lacquer solvents. This material is numbered 4: in Figure 1, and 5. in Figure 4. I then cut the material into desired sizes to be inserted in holders cilic purposes. Other forms of holders may be, made to meet special needs. a

In" producing an all-over pattern in fine stipple colors, I take an absorbent fabric such as thestandard' cotton string 1 and run it through heavily pigmented liquid coloring materials to build up a thick coating 3. Several coatings may be applied to build up to the desired thickness. After the coloring 7 material is thoroughly dry, I apply the sealer 4 which is insoluble in lacquer solvents. The

sealer may be of glue or gelatin. The coated and sealed strings are now out into short pieces and fastened together in a form block 6, see Figures 2 and 3. The short pieces of 7 string may be-of different color and form a design. The cutting of the string exposes the ends of the cut pieces so that they may be dipped into lacquer solvents. Now by capillary attraction the solvents penetrate through the stringon the inside of the sealer and dissolve the coloring pigments, allowing them to work out to the end of the string as the group of strings in the block 6 is pressed The coloring pigment continues towork down through the strings until it has all worked out. The holder may be fastened to the tops or bottoms of the group of strings so that when the exposed ends of the strings have been half worn down,the holder mayf be transferred to the opposite ends of the strings, thus providing the greatest possible service from each group of strings.

In producing large and definite designs, it is desirable to use a piece of cloth such as the strip of felt 2. The color is appliedin the same manner as it was applied to the string. For some purposes, however, the sealer 5 need not be used. 'The absorbency of the fabric material 2 is regulated by the consistency of the coloring pigments and by the amount of moisture in the fabric when it is coated. By moistening the fabric before coating, the coloring matter stays on the outside of the fabric, and when the fabric is used the solvents will dissolve the pigments more readily than would otherwise be the case. For most purposes,'however, the solubility is regulated by the consistency of the coloring pigments. The flexibility of the colored fabric is also regulated by the consistency of the elements in the coloring material and by the sizing 5 if it is used.

The holder for the fabric strips 2' is shown in Figures 6 and 7. The holder 7 carries pins or nails 8 that are spaced from each other as shown. The fabric strips 2 may be eral embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of various changes, and I reserve the right to employ such changes as may come within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. The herein described process of decorating surfaces which consists in causing a carrier to absorb self-drying coloring, covering all but portions. .of the material with "a non-m'oi'stening casing, moistening the exposedcoloring prior to use, and in pressing the exposed portion against a surface.

' An article of manufacture comprising fibrous. material covered and impregnated with a self-drying coloring, and a noninoistenablecasing enclosing substantially the entire outer surface of the fibrous material.

8. Anarticle of manufacture comprising lacquer to dry, cutting and forming the carrier into desired shapes, moistening the portions of the carrier with a lacquer solvent, and iii applying the molstened lacquer to a surface.

FRED F. CONWILL.

placed between the nailsto form different i designs.

Another type of holder is shown in Figures 8 and 9, andconsists of a U-shaped member 9 that yieldingly engages with the fabric strip 2.

The fabric strips 2 can have their outer edges used until the pigments up to substantially the midway line have been dissolved out. Then the strips may be inverted and the other edges used. The pins 8 and the sides of the holder 9 support the fabric strips even though the latter should become partially softened by the solvent.

It is obvious that a sliding of the holders 6, 7 and 9' over the surfaces to be painted will give a different effect than Where the holders are only pressed against the surfaces and thenwithdrawn without any lateral movement while in contact position. Also. different results are obtained where the holder is pressed against a wet lacquer surface a dry lacquer surface.

Although I have shown and described sev- 

